How to make your own Christmas tree fairy

This gorgeous vintage-style Christmas fairy would make a pretty tree topper or a welcome personalised gift. You could even make one using old scraps from your children's clothes to make it that extra bit special.

You will need

a pencil

papier-mâché ball for head

glue

three-dimensional fabric pen in black

black, flesh, and red coloured paints

fabric scraps, for dress

red roses, for decoration

50cm of gold ribbon

To make

1. Push the pencil through the hole in the papier-mâché ball and add a spot of glue to fix in place. Use the pencil to hold while you paint the face and hair on the fairy. We used gloss black three-dimensional fabric paint for the hair and black, flesh and red-coloured paint for the face.

2. Cut a piece of fabric the length of the pencil and approximately 20cm wide. Fold the fabric in half lengthways with right sides facing, and stitch together. Gather the top of the fabric and draw up to fit the neck of the doll at the top of the pencil. Secure the gathering thread and add a blob of glue to keep the fabric in place. To make the arms, cut two pieces of fabric 8cm by 10cm.

3. Roll each of the two pieces of fabric to create a tube and glue along the edge to hold in place. Glue to the top of the dress on either side.

4. Finish by sticking roses around the head and add gold ribbon as a belt, topped with a rose. We also added a bead necklace and tiny fabric flowers stuck to the hem of the skirt.